It is said that the US innovates, Europe regulates and China imitates; although we can expect to see the first and last of these swap places in coming decades. Never one to be left behind, the UK's Civil Aviation Authority is keen to get in on the act and stifle any form of innovation whatsoever when it comes to designing, building, testing, operating and selling anything that flies whatsoever with the exception of a paper dart... although they're working on that.
Everything that I ever recall being applied to the least and largest of aircraft I can see being incorporated into model flying viz. licensing, registration, fees, reporting, medicals, compliance departments and on, and on, and on, and on...
This cut-out-and-keep guide for the fridge door demonstrates how everything no matter what its size needs regulating, training, licensing, monitoring and operating in constrained circumstances which you will need to be wholly conversant with at risk of prosecution.
The two principle effects will be (as I've heard from commercial drone builders and operators) that it will stifle innovation and ensure the market remains dominated by Far Eastern providers; whilst at the same time dividing users as we have seen with two- and four-wheeled vehicles into a law-abiding class upon which the burden falls, and a criminal class who couldn't care less.
This in turn means that the CAA will pursue cases against individuals, unless they are Michael O'Leary, which won't matter because the legal system is falling apart and the prisons are full to overflowing. It will however ensure that revenue is spent on unprofitable endeavours, though that's the modus operandi (in lock-step with the rest of Europe) going forward.
If you 'working' down there at Gatwick, it's Monday morning so get a cappuccino as there's that important consignment of paper-clips to deal with before lunch?
For definition of low speed mode see chapter 4, sub-section 16, para 9, line 5: 'We don't know'.
